


The Fear of Losing

by Crowned_Ladybug



Series: Everyone Deserves a Second Chance (Marvelsepticeye AU) [8]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AU, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, apparently this made ppl cry again...sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12690654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowned_Ladybug/pseuds/Crowned_Ladybug
Summary: "I won't let anyone hurt you, you're safe with me."Or, Marvin would do everything to protect Jackie. Even if that means fighting the whole world.Requested by anonymous on Tumblr.





	The Fear of Losing

This is bad. Oh, fuck, this is really bad.

Jackie is on the ground, trying to push himself up with one hand while the other clutches his side, blood seeping through between his fingers and staining his bright red suit a deep crimson. Marvin is panicking. Their attackers are long gone and they both thought they were fine, victorious even, up until Jackie had collapsed, grasping at his side. Marvin is shaking, both with adrenaline and cold, because it's a February night and they've both been outside for way too long.

Marvin's feet stumble as he makes his way to Jackie and crouches next to him. "Come on," he breathes, wrapping an arm around the other's back, preparing to help him up. "Let's go home, it's...it's going to be okay, I'll fix you up in no time," he forces some cheerfulness into his voice and Jackie smiles at him.

Suddenly there's noise coming from the end of the alleyway, getting louder and louder. People shouting, talking over each other, swarming as a curious crowd forms and the blood runs cold in Marvin's veins. He can feel Jackie leaning against him more, but he doesn't know if it's an attempt at comfort or a sign of him getting weaker by the second.

He takes a shaky breath, tries to ignore the shouts before it gets too much and he breaks down. Jackie needs him now, he can't give in to his own fears. He prepares to teleport the both of them, but the shouting won't cease and his focus is drawn away again.

"It's him again!" "The magician!" "It's the magician!" "You leave our hero alone, you scum!" "Get away from him!"

Marvin takes another deep breath and counts silently, preparing his magic. One...two...He chokes when his cape is yanked from behind, straining against his throat. His hands immediately fly up to unbuckle it and free himself. He twists in his panic, trying to get away, and he can feel Jackie falling away from him. There's people all around him, shouting, grabbing and pulling at him. They're yanking him away from Jackie, screaming at him that how dare he hurt their hero, what a monster he is, he's going to pay now. He screams in pain and fear as soon as he can breathe again even just for a moment, Jackie's name coming to his lips without thinking. He writhes, swinging left and right in blind fear though he doesn't want to hurt these people, crying and screaming. What are they talking about, he would never hurt Jackie, he loves him, they're a team, what do these people want from him? He needs to get back to Jackie, protect him, bring him home.

He finally frees himself, every inch of his skin burning with scratches and scrapes. He scrambles back to Jackie, stumbling over his own feet and falling to his knees next to him, and the people scatter from around them in fear of what he might do. Jackie looks at him through half-lidded eyes, relieved. He's in so much pain, he's losing blood fast and can barely move from dizziness, but he's still so intent on making sure Marvin is safe.

Shaking, eyes flickering between Jackie and the crowd, Marvin draws Jackie against his chest and holds him tight. He just wants to get out of here and bring Jackie to safety.

"Get back!" Marvin screams at the people gathered around them and the few who had tried to get closer immediately back away. Marvin eyes the crowd like a cornered beast, ready to attack any second to save himself and the one he loves. He holds Jackie tighter and one of his hands finds the wound on his side and presses down on it because Jackie is too weak to do it himself anymore. He hates the feeling of blood against his hands like he hates how shaky and small Jackie's breaths are, but he doesn't budge. He yells again when someone makes a move towards him. The people look scared, but this once Marvin doesn't care, not as long as it keeps them at bay.

He must seem like a monster, ready to destroy without remorse if approached, but Jackie knows he's terrified. He can feel his chest heaving, he sees the wild look in his eyes and knows that had it not been for Jackie’s injury, Marvin would have bolted and ran long ago.

"Hey...hey, Marvin," Jackie rasps, and he hates that he might not be able to soothe Marvin, not when things are like this. Marvin's head snaps to look at him, eyes wide, and he looks so scared. Jackie raises a hand, the one that isn't covered in blood, and holds onto his arm. "It's okay, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, you're safe with me."

Marvin shakes his head and he wishes he could smile. Instead he's just blinking back tears. "I'm the one protecting you, I'm supposed to be saying that," his voice chokes up and he bites his lower lip, but his eyes remain on Jackie and he seems to forget about the crowd, and Jackie considers that a success.

"It's okay, we're gonna be okay," Jackie tries to gather all strength he still can into his voice and hopes he sounds reassuring enough. He needs Marvin to believe him.

Marvin's shoulders shake and the tears spill from his eyes. He lowers his head and pulls Jackie closer, and he's trying his best not to start full on sobbing, but it's hard. "Jackie..." he whimpers, helpless and scared, and Jackie hushes him gently.

"I'm here, it's okay," he moves his hand from Marvin's arm to his head, smoothing his hair back gently. He's glad Marvin is focusing on him and only him now, because he needs him to calm down enough to get both of them home. Marvin leans into his touch and he would hold Jackie's hand if he weren't trying to stop his bleeding. Jackie runs his hand through his hair again, pulling the loose strands back from his mask, humming quietly. "I'm here."

It's going so well. Marvin seems to have completely forgotten about the people still around them and Jackie is about to ask him to bring the two of them home when everything goes downhill again. Jackie catches movement out of the corner of his eye, people foolishly trying to approach again, damn them. Of course Marvin notices too. His body goes rigid, muscles tensing in renewed panic.

"I said go away! Get back!" Marvin screams again, but his voice is much higher now and it breaks from the strain. Tears are running down his cheeks freely and he shakes in blind terror. Jackie knows the people are trying to help, to get to the two of them to calm Marvin down and take Jackie to the hospital, but Marvin doesn't. He holds onto Jackie for dear life, scared that they will hurt him again, tear Jackie away from him and hurt him more. His shrieks mix with sobs and as he orders the crowd to stay back again the alley fills with a new, orange light.

Oh shit.

There's fires lighting in the middle of the concrete, on top of frozen piles of snow and against the cracked brick walls. Marvin is too scared to control his magic any longer and so it works on its own out of instinct, because Marvin desperately wants to protect himself and Jackie, and for these people to finally leave.

There's more screaming, people shrieking in fear and shock as they scramble back from the fire. The flames grow higher and higher, and they're probably much hotter than regular fire, and they illuminate everything with a flickering, orange light that is in no way cosy or friendly. It makes Marvin look even more terrified, eyes wide and the fire painting deep shadows onto his face.

"Marvin!" Jackie tries to shout but he's too weak, and his voice is barely anything over the screaming of the crowd and the roaring flames. He has to stop this, now, before things get even more out of hand. He pushes himself up more, and the pain that comes with the movement is almost too much, but he clenches his teeth and does it away. Marvin stares at him in horror, but Jackie doesn't waver. He reaches up his clean hand again and grabs the back of Marvin's neck, pressing their foreheads together and forcing Marvin to focus on him, only him. "It's okay," he breathes, staring deep into Marvin's eyes. He still looks just as terrified, but his gaze softens and he lets out a small sob. "Shh, shh...it's okay."

"I'm not...I'm not going to let them take you," Marvin cries, voice choking up. "I'm not losing you."

"You won't," Jackie promises, and he slowly starts rubbing his thumb against the back of Marvin's neck. "We're gonna be okay, no one's going to hurt us. We're going to be okay."

Marvin keeps crying and whimpering, but he doesn't say anything anymore. He just holds Jackie close, eyes locked on his, and slowly, really slowly he calms down. No one tries to approach them again and Jackie is glad for that. He keeps talking, tells Marvin a hundred times over that they're going to be okay, that no one is going to separate them and that he loves Marvin so, so much. He traces small circles into the back of Marvin's neck, and Marvin just listens, and slowly the fire around them dies down. The alley returns to its regular shady lack of lighting and what remains of the crowd still keeps its distance.

"There, there," Jackie whispers, though he's still getting weaker and dizzier as time goes on. His eyes flicker to the side for just a moment to check for anyone approaching, but Marvin catches on, though he doesn't look away from Jackie for a second.

"I don't...I don't wanna let them..."

"It's okay," Jackie tries for a small smile and he has no idea how he accomplishes it. "You can take us home now."

Marvin nods, biting his lip. He pulls Jackie against himself in a proper hug as gently as he can, one hand holding the back of his head. Jackie lays his head on Marvin's shoulder and closes his eyes tiredly. For a second he can't breathe, but when he opens his eyes again he's home.

  


Marvin lays Jackie on his bed carefully and frees him of his suit. He sits on the ground next to the bed, his cape and mask discarded carelessly around him. The wound on Jackie's side is ugly, a cut that turned into a tear halfway through, and it's still bleeding. Marvin tries his best to heal it.

He knows healing magic, of course he does. He's been fending for himself pretty much all his life and he's had plenty of chances to experiment. He's got more scars than he can count.

He places his hand on Jackie's side, ignoring the warm, sticky blood that coats his palm and he concentrates. He doesn't exactly know how he does it, he just knows he does. His fingertips tingle with his magic and he tries to keep his breathing even – it's much easier now that he's not surrounded by a hostile crowd that seems so want to take Jackie from him no matter what.

Jackie just won't shut up. For someone who's injured and bleeding out, he seems to have an awful lot of nothings to say. "Tomorrow I'm making pancakes for lunch. I think we both deserve it," he muses, nonchalant as if he was just sitting in the living room with Marvin, talking over some uninteresting show on the TV. Marvin gives him a scolding look and Jackie grins. "What?"

"Shut up," Marvin shakes his head fondly. He's not smiling, he's not quite there yet, but he's easing up and Jackie can tell.

"Because I'm right?" he adjusts his shoulder to get a little more comfortable. "Please tell me we still have chocolate syrup."

Marvin tries to focus on his work, though it's getting harder and harder with his energy fading and Jackie talking. "I don't know. It might have run out last time."

"Oh bother."

"Would you stop talking and concentrate on not dying instead?" Marvin's eyes don't leave the wound under his hands and his voice holds no edge. He's trying to keep up with the lighter atmosphere, but he can't quite get it right yet. He's still too jumpy.

"I'm not dying. You saved me," Jackie’s voice is softer than before, and Marvin knows that he's looking at him now.

Marvin still doesn't look up. "Shut up," he mumbles, and they both know he doesn't mean it.

"You've already said that and did it work? Nah," Jackie teases. Marvin curses his humour that refuses to acknowledge life-threatening situations.

"You're the worst," Marvin rolls his eyes, but there's the faintest trace of a smile near the corner of his mouth. He straightens himself and leans to the side, and he plants a small kiss onto Jackie's lips. Jackie smiles like the big dork he is, but he humours Marvin and stays silent for a while after that.

Marvin works on healing the wound until he's shaking with exhaustion. He sits back on his calves and hold his head in his hands for a moment, because he's spread himself too thin again and he's dizzy. He wants to keep working still, because he's not done yet, he wants to make sure Jackie is okay even if it means he's going to pass out for a whole day.

But he doesn't. Jackie is proud of him for it, because it's a hard thing to learn and Marvin is still not good at accepting his limits.

Marvin gently traces the skin around the cut. It's closed up now, a dark red line with the skin around it swollen and tainted pink, no need for bandages. "It's going to take a little more for me to fully heal it up and make the scar disappear," he sighs. He looks up at Jackie apologetically. "But in a couple days you should be good as new."

"That's alright, take your time," Jackie hums, and he takes Marvin's hand that's laid over his side and keeps it there. Marvin can feel his stomach fall and rise as he breathes. "Thank you. You should get some rest now though."

Marvin nods and watches his hand against Jackie's skin for a moment longer before he retracts it and makes to get up. Jackie watches as he walks over to the wardrobe and gets out a shirt for Jackie to sleep in before even thinking about fetching his own things from the floor.

"Yeah, don't you dare think I'm letting you sleep on the couch tonight," Jackie says as he pulls the shirt down over his torso. "I mean, if you'd want to stay here instead, that is."

Marvin looks down and fumbles with his hands a little before responding, voice quiet. "Okay...thank you."

  


They curl up facing each other, and Marvin's hand keeps wandering back towards the cut on Jackie's side until Jackie intertwines their fingers and presses Marvin's hand to his heart instead. They're both exhausted beyond belief, but neither of them feel like they can fall asleep just yet. There's still too much adrenaline in their veins, too much pain and fear.

So they talk.

They talk about how much they want to protect each other, and Jackie cries when Marvin tells him that he's all he has and that if there was a way for him to make sure Jackie is never hurt again, he'd do it. He doesn't stop crying until Marvin kisses him and says that it's okay, they're going to be okay because things always get better, they just have to wait it out. They talk about all the magic Marvin still wants to learn, the ideas he has to try out and how much he's looking forward to it. They talk about whether they have everything to make pancakes tomorrow or if they will need to go shopping before that. As their fright wears off their topics get more a more mundane and quiet, just like how they settle back into their daily routine after fighting crime every time.

Jackie falls asleep first, still holding onto Marvin's hand and smiling softly. Marvin kisses his forehead as he watches him drift off. He stays awake a little longer, instinctively guarding Jackie in his sleep, but his exhaustion wins in the end and he's asleep before he knows it. He doesn't have any nightmares that night, somehow.


End file.
